Yeonwoo, with one side of his mask pulled down, picked up the cup and took a sip of tea. Honestly, he only knew about barley tea or green tea, not other types. Being thirsty, Yeonwoo gulped down several more sips of the warm tea without noticing the unfamiliar aroma. Then he reached for the slice of cake placed in the middle of the tray that had caught his eye. It was a cream cake with strawberries. After scooping the edge with a fork and putting it in his mouth, Yeonwoo unconsciously took a deep breath.
Blinking rapidly at the subtle sweetness, Yeonwoo cut a larger piece from the middle and put it in his mouth. As the rich flavor spread like it was melting the moment it entered his mouth, Yeonwoo thought while chewing: The food here is indeed delicious. In just a few forkfuls, the cake slice quickly disappeared.
He wanted to taste all the other unfamiliar desserts around it too, but Ho Munbeom, who had gone outside, would likely return soon. Yeonwoo refreshed his mouth with tea and reluctantly put his mask back on. After some time passed, Ho Munbeom returned to his seat, bringing with him the cold outdoor air and a faint smell of cigarettes.
“…”
It seemed he had gone out to smoke, which took longer than expected. Without showing any reaction, Yeonwoo accepted the documents Ho Munbeom handed him. He carefully opened the envelope with both hands and took out the papers inside. There weren’t many pages. Thinking this wouldn’t take long to review, Yeonwoo placed the documents in front of him and began checking from the first line.
The first thing that caught his eye was the phrase asking not to disclose the contract to any third party. It was a contract based on trust between Ho Munbeom and Lee Yeonwoo, so please adhere to it.
He had expected it to be written in a heavier, more formal language. Like the one Lee Jonghoon had brought before with terms like party A and party B, must comply with the transaction conditions, and can demand compensation for damages if the contract is breached.
But the document Yeonwoo was reading now was friendly. It was filled with words and sentences that Yeonwoo could easily understand and accept.
He wondered if Ho Munbeom had written this himself. Then he thought that since Ho Munbeom had many people working for him, he probably didn’t do it personally. Perhaps he had help from a secretary or lawyer. Did those people know about their relationship? More importantly, was he the first person to read this in front of Ho Munbeom?
Fidgeting with the crisp first page of the document, Yeonwoo looked up. He could see Ho Munbeom sitting with his legs crossed under his hat. As Yeonwoo stared at him waiting for him to finish reviewing the contract contents, he slightly flipped through the papers below and mumbled softly.
“…Could I borrow a pen? I didn’t bring anything with me.”
At those words, Ho Munbeom, who had been still, took the envelope and checked inside. When he withdrew his hand, there was a pen between his fingers.
Ah, it was there. I should have checked more carefully.
Yeonwoo received the pen with both hands and said, “Thank you.” Then he was about to sign at the very last page where, quite naturally, his personal information was written. But before he could, Ho Munbeom grabbed his hand.
“Have you read it all the way through?”
“…”
He had read about half of the front part. It seemed filled with content that wasn’t problematic and that he obviously should follow, and he assumed the rest would be the same, so Yeonwoo answered, “Yes.”
But Ho Munbeom didn’t seem to believe his answer.
“Did you check this part too?”
Yeonwoo’s eyes trembled as he saw the section Ho Munbeom pointed to after turning the page.
It listed the payment the contractor would receive upon completion of the contract, with too many zeros attached. Yeonwoo’s pupils shook left and right as he confirmed from ones to tens to hundreds to thousands to ten millions.
“Such a strange amount…”
“This amount is correct. It will be paid to you immediately upon signing. Of course, if it’s deposited into an account under your name, they will find out, so go to the branch we guide you to and find the branch manager with this name. Then you can receive payment right away in whatever form you prefer.”
“…”
“Did you check this content?”
The sentence Ho Munbeom pointed to again read: ‘No physical relationship will be established if one of the two does not want it.’
It was like a basic promise that both of them should naturally keep if they were to have sex. It was strange that this was written in the contract and that Ho Munbeom was pointing it out. Heat rising to his face, Yeonwoo couldn’t respond at all.
Looking at Yeonwoo, Ho Munbeom continued calmly.
“Since you’re also a dominant Omega, a heat cycle will come eventually, and at that time, being with me rather than taking medication might be less stressful for your body.”
While various suppressants had been developed and researched as trait carriers made up 10% of the total population, it was also true that the most basic and instinctive act was the most helpful.
Of course, it was undeniable that in that relationship, the Alpha had a much more advantageous position than the Omega. The person who could benefit more from regular meetings and relationships was Ho Munbeom.
“Thanks to you, my condition has improved a lot lately. That’s why I’m presenting this contract, but when you look at each detail, you’ll bear more physical burden, so you need to think carefully.”
“…”
“We’ll probably meet once a week, or perhaps more frequently, and I’ll likely want to sleep with you each time.”
Yeonwoo, who had been still with a hardened expression as if considering Ho Munbeom’s words, quickly signed in the next moment. Feeling as if the tension was suddenly released after actually doing it, Yeonwoo said to Ho Munbeom.
“It’s fine.”
“…”
Ho Munbeom merely looked back and forth between Yeonwoo and his signature.
It probably seemed strange that he signed immediately despite being given time to think. He might think he’s doing this for the money. From Yeonwoo’s perspective, it might be better if he thought that way.
Because he couldn’t say, “I’ve had no hesitation from the beginning because it’s you.” Unable to say such things as “Perhaps you are the best fortune for me right now,” Yeonwoo mumbled softly to avoid the awkward situation.
“…Still, I wish I could receive a small amount that I could use right away.”
With a faint smile at Yeonwoo’s words, Ho Munbeom said while gathering the contract and pen.
“Should I fill about one box with 50,000 won bills?”
Given who he was, it didn’t sound like just a joke. Thinking that receiving such a thing would feel really strange, Yeonwoo also smiled slightly.
Though he was wearing a mask, Ho Munbeom could see Yeonwoo’s eyes narrowing slightly, and feeling the tension ease, he placed the envelope down in front of him and asked.
“May I ask why you haven’t told your father about your dealings with me?”
“…”
Yeonwoo’s relaxed eyes suddenly hardened.
Asking “may I ask” after already asking. And with that persistent gaze suggesting he would keep staring until he got an answer, Yeonwoo murmured very softly.
“Because my only duty was to attend the blind date.”
“…So since you’ve done your duty, you don’t feel the need to inform your father about your dealings with me.”
Yeonwoo nodded slightly, saying that was correct.
Though he responded as if it wasn’t particularly important, Ho Munbeom felt he understood what Yeonwoo couldn’t say. Even a simple investigation revealed how greedy a person Lee Jonghoon, Yeonwoo’s other father, was. He probably tormented Yeonwoo, thinking he hadn’t properly attended the blind date.
Looking at the mask pulled up to nearly cover the entire face and the deeply pulled-down hat, Ho Munbeom spoke.
“On the surface, it seems like I’m giving more, but you’re still young. You should consider that I might be exploiting you.”
“…”
“When you have to sign a contract, you should carefully check everything from beginning to end. You never know where there might be a trap.”
A person who only intended to exploit would never say such things. Thinking that Ho Munbeom, who repeatedly advised caution even after the signing was complete, clearly didn’t know how good a person he was, Yeonwoo spoke.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ve examined and confirmed everything thoroughly. With you giving me so much money, how could it be a one-sided loss for me?”
“…”
“But are you really giving me all that money?”
“I’ll handle all taxes and fees on my end to avoid any future problems. You don’t have to worry about anything except thinking about how to use that money.”
“…With that much money, it seems like I could live without working for the rest of my life.”
He wasn’t really saying it out of greed for money. Since he just said it because he didn’t know what else to say, the conversation quickly ended.
Perhaps Ho Munbeom had come in person because of that contract. Now that the signing was complete and everything that needed to be done was done, he wanted to get up. After glancing once more at the desserts that still remained plentifully, Yeonwoo opened his mouth with an “Um.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
